FRUIT AND CARDEN NOTES. 



221 



■which is conceded to be the most delicious of all beans. 

 When well-grown this is very large ; some of the seeds 

 are almost round, and crowd each other in the pods, like 

 the Champion pea. I find it difficult to save sufficient 

 seed of the Kumerle. The pods are heavy and thick, 

 and set well under the leaves, so that they mildew and 

 sometimes rot before they are dry enough for seed. 

 But when shelled green for the table, they have no equal 

 and are the admiration of all that see them. 



The Burpee Bush Lima, all points considered, is the 

 most meritorious novelty introduced for many years. It 

 makes a large, magnificent plant, and its strong, bushy 

 habit is thoroughly fixed ; it has no inclination whatever to 

 run. The beans are large, about the size of the Large 

 White Lima, which the variety closely resembles in pod 

 and shape. Like the Kumerle it is rather late and should 

 also have the advantage of an early, rich soil. In fact 

 my experience with all Limas indicates that a very rich, 

 sandy soil is to be preferred. This variety makes a large 

 and heavy bushy plant, and when set full of large pods, 

 as it generally is, it appears to be unable to carry them 

 without some protection or support. In high winds it is 

 frequently blown over and injured by twisting or break- 

 ing near the ground. To prevent this I set a strong stake 

 about as tall as the plant by its side and tie the plant to it. 

 When cultivated in this way, it will be found fully as 

 productive as any other of the pole varieties. — T. M. 

 White, Monmouth Co., jV. J. 



HOW TO PREVENT TOMATO-ROT. 



Early tomatoes are a highly important crop with mar- 

 ket-gardeners here. Rot is our chief trouble. The large 

 tomatoes rot in the center just before ripening, causing 

 serious loss. In some seasons this has been so bad that 

 only half -rotted fruit could be obtained at any price, and 

 many amateurs abandoned tomato-culture entirely. My 

 first tomatoes were grown on land that had never before 

 been planted with vegetables. They did well and we 

 had ripe fruit by July 4. Everybody complained of 

 rotting, while ours were all sound. Next year we planted 

 on the same patch, supposing this to be the best. Sin- 

 gularly, all the fruit spoiled before ripening. This was 

 the case everywhere around us, and we said the season 

 was unfavorable. However, I had a surplus of plants in 

 June and took about 200 to a distant field that had pro- 

 duced only wheat and corn. These made little growth, 

 but by August were overladen with fine, sound fruit, not 

 a single one showing any disposition to rot. They were 

 the finest and best-flavored tomatoes I have yet seen. 



It occurred to me at once that planting the crop on 

 the same land in succession was the cause of the rotting. 

 I therefore selected the tomato-patch accordingly the next 

 season, and to my satisfaction it proved a success. To 

 be quite sure, I planted some on land on which tomatoes 

 had been grown two years before ; they rotted badly. 

 Two rows which extended over the limits of the original 

 field bore fruit all sound, while not three feet away in 

 the field no good fruit could be found. 



This has caused me to believe that tomatoes should 

 never be planted on ground on which this fruit had ever 



been grown before. How many years it will take to 

 efface the effects of infection I do not know. A one year's 

 interval does not seem sufficient. 



The above is especially true on light soils ; heavy clay 

 lands seem to be less affected. — Fr. Windmiller, Min- 

 nesota. 



GROWING EARLY TOMATOES FOR HOME USE. 



The climatic conditions of this and many other districts 

 in the northern states are not especially favorable for 

 bringing a full crop of tomatoes to maturity. We have 

 to take more pains with our tomatoes than growers more 

 fortunately located, who have only to set out plants, no 

 matter how poor or small, in order to get a full supply 

 of the ripe fruit. Hundreds of my neighbors hardly 

 ever get more than a mere taste of ripe tomatoes, and yet 

 it is merely a matter of proper management and pains- 

 taking to have a full supply for a long period every 

 season. Our great obstacle is the difficulty of obtaining 

 good plants. 



Ordinarily it will not do to depend on the local plant- 

 grower for a supply. In most cases one will get stunted, 

 spindling specimens, not worth twenty cents a dozen. 

 Some eighteen years ago we sold fairly good plants at 

 seventy-five cents a dozen. This was not too much for 

 the care bestowed ; but of late a demand for cheap plants 

 has sprung up, or possibly competition has forced prices 

 down. At any rate, good plants are no longer obtainable, 

 and we must grow them ourselves. 



If we can prolong the ripening season or hasten it — 

 which means the same thing — for a single day, that day 

 is clear gain, for it requires as much labor to care for a 

 tomato-plant whether it brings plenty of fruit to maturity 

 or none. We may as well have fine, ripe tomatoes every 

 day for three months as for six weeks ; the expense will 

 be the same, except for the superior plants. I have 

 often taken ripe tomatoes into the market four weeks 

 ahead of anyone else, and yet I am located unfavorably 

 for competition. 



First procure good seed of any of the best varieties. 

 There is little difference between them in regard to 

 earliness, except in some of the newer varieties, espe- 

 cially King of the Earlies, Earliest Advance, Atlantic 

 Prize, Vaughan Earliest and Early Ruby. Of these 

 King of the Earlies should be discarded on account of 

 inferior quality, and Earliest Advance on account of its 

 small size. The other three are good, and any of them 

 may be planted for earliest. They are exactly the varie- 

 ties for people with little skill, and for a rather cold cli- 

 mate. In such cases they might be made the sole reliance. 

 But since some of the later varieties, such as Ignotum, 

 Matchless, etc., are much better, we plant the Ruby, 

 etc., only to a limited extent, and prefer the later ones 

 for main crop, and would advise the same course by others. 



Presuming that the plants are well-started and made 

 stocky by frequent transplanting, about April 20 transfer 

 to a hotbed previously prepared. If they are quite large 

 and tall, cut them back ; even severe top-pruning may be 

 of benefit. Also shorten the roots somewhat. Give 

 plenty of room — eight to ten inches each way. 



